{% include "includes/auth/janrain/signIn_traditional.html" with message='It looks like you are already verified. If you still have trouble signing in, you probably need a new confirmation link email.' %}

breaking news

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Stephen Morris rested on his elbows at a table. Moments before, he led a thrilling, game-winning drive to preserve his team’s unbeaten start and cast a chill over a raucous stadium. The buzz had worn off, and Morris struggled to explain exactly what happened before.

Wrong to the tune of four interceptions, the most the senior quarterback has thrown in 29 games as a Hurricane. This was a Thursday night, nationally televised game with 25 NFL scouts in attendance, and Morris went 19-of-35 for 322 yards, with no touchdowns and the four picks.

“Our biggest focus was to put that behind us, and focus on that last drive,” Morris said.

To do that, he had guidance of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach James Coley, who used an NFL legend as his teaching example. In a 30-27 win over the New Orleans Saints last Sunday, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw an interception, down four with 2:16 to play. Calm as ever, he then drove 70 yards in 1:03 and placed a perfect 17-yard touchdown pass in the hands of receiver Kenbrell Thompkins with five seconds remaining.

It was an ideal script for Morris to follow, though he had a little help. Dallas Crawford took eight carries, Eduardo Clements gained two crucial first downs and Morris went 3-for-3 for 34 yards on the final series before Crawford punched in a 3-yard score with 16 seconds left.

“The last drive, Coach Coley kept on telling me just, ‘Tom Brady, Tom Brady,'” Morris said. “The meaning of that was, a lot of things weren’t going his way, but he was playing his game and somehow he just pulled it out on that last drive to lead his team down and get a touchdown and score.

“That was my mentality.”

Morris attributed his struggles to the mental part of the game, rather than his bruised right ankle. He said it wasn’t sore; “I thought it was all right,” Morris said. “I’m still getting stronger and trying to do all the things I used to do, run and throw under pressure.”

“I don’t know why I was so off,” Morris said. “I really got to sit back and study what I’m doing throughout the week, look at everything I need to do on and off the field, and make adjustments and maybe study better, meet with my coaches more. I don’t know. I’ve just got to play better.”

“It’s just one of those games, man. You’ve just got to learn from it and move on.”

Morris said he wasn’t pressing to make plays with star tailback Duke Johnson and valuable receiver Phillip Dorsett out with injuries, but Golden believed he actually might have been. He pointed to the fourth-quarter pick Morris threw with Miami down 23-20. He was flushed out of the pocket and tried to force the ball to Herb Waters instead of throwing it away.

“We’ll get him cleaned up,” Golden said. “He is a super human being, and a competitor. He was just trying to do too much, I think. We’ll look at him in the film. Just some throws that are just not like him to do that. A scramble … live to fight another day. He knows that.”

“I’m not going to leave him here,” Golden added with a deadpan delivery. “We’re going to bring him back with us and get him ready for next week.”

But both coach and quarterback were on the same page on this: Thursday was an important win for Miami.

“To think about where we were a couple years ago and to think about where we’re at now, obviously it means a lot for us,” Morris said. “The maturity on this team is unbelievable. Like I said, I was down the whole game. I had the worst game of my entire life – my teammates were there for me and responding for me. That’s all that matters to me.”

View Comments
0

There are no comments yet. Be the first to post your thoughts. Sign in or register.